Friedman on Iraq

by Cliopatria

The Times' Thomas Friedman is the best columnist in America when it comes to Middle East affairs. He is smart, he is fair, he is a wonderful writer, and he really knows his stuff. His book From Beirut to Jerusalem is still a classic work, and his columns on that part of the world are always must reads. (Interestingly, in recent years there have been two Thomas Friedmans, the one who writes about the Middle East, and the one who writes about globalization, and I do not know why, but the latter Thomas Friedman is simply not as good. ) His column today, his first in a while since he has been on a sabbatical to work on a book, is a tour de force. I think he makes a strong case, and one I have been struggling to make for some time. The administration has at almost every turn mismanaged a war that I justified, albeit for reasons and with emphases far different from theirs.

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Derek Charles Catsam - 10/10/2004

Michael --
I am afraid I cannot agree with you on this one for an array of reasons. The first is that your criticism about "besotted with power politics" is just plain silly. This is a geopolitical situation best understood through the lens of politics. I'm not sure how you'd otherwise have us understand it. This is simply inanity.
As for fair play and justice, it is so evidently clear that you do not read him on a regular basis that I am not sure why you bothered commenting here. If you do not think he cares about fair play and justice you simply have not read enough of his columns or certainly you have not read From Beirut to Jerusalem.
As for coherence, I'm afraid I'll have to say that I am willing to bet that I read as much and as well as you do, and I see no lack of coherence. The courtesy of an example might have given the accusation some validity. There is nothing incoherent about seeing complxity nor is there anything incoherent about changing ones mind.
Basically, then, I think you are wrong on every single point you make, made the worse by the fact that you levy accusations without evidence.
Better luck next time.
dc

Michael Meo - 10/10/2004

Sorry, and not only for accidentally touching a key in error a moment ago.

Sorry, but I cannot accept Mr Friedman as the best at much, let alone as the best at explaining the situation in the Mideast. I suppose one way to have my assent would be to limit "columnist in America" to those appearing in the New York Times, but, failing that tactic, I usually expect some understanding of a sense of fair play and justice before endorsing a position.

Which has always been absent from Mr Friedman's besotted-with-power-politics writing.

A second quality I value is coherence. Again, I have noticed the sad lack of that in Mr Friedman's jumping about. Perhaps I can concede that he is best at pursuing the will o' the wisp of the moment, of all of the columnists in America.

The problem is, I expect the opposite from a columnist.